C continuous feed mechanism for printing presses



\ CONTINUOUS FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OC'C. 12. 1929 INVEYINTOR (has Low Feb. 3, 1931. c. Low 1,790,936

CONTINUOUS FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed 001;. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTQ g\\\\ (has L Qvag? 13% ATTOR C. L. LOW

Feb. 3, 1931.

CONTINUOUS FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 (n 1 L INVENTOR fhasll llow SUfl-i ATTORN EY a'qil;

Feb 3,1

CQNTiNUOUS FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 C. L. LOW

Feb. 3, .1931.

CONTINUOUS FEED MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Oct. 12, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Chas L.Low

BY I ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 i UNITED [STATES PAT ENr ear-ice:

CHARLES L. Low, or rnnsivo, CALIFORNIA, AssIGnoa 'ro LISENIBY iviAiIiire(irritants; 7

COMPANY, or FRESNO,'CALIFORNIA, coRroBATIon Application filed October 12, 1929. -Serial No. 399,207.

This invention relates to printing presses,

andparticularly to a means for supporting the stack of sheets of paper to be printed,-

and for maintaining the top level of the stack substantially in the same horizontal plane at all times, so that the-topmost sheet is in the proper posit-ionto be engaged and drawn off the stack or pile by the feednozzle or other device interposed between'the pile and the printing cylinder of the press.

Ordinarily the pile supporting means is in,

the form of a vertically movable table or elevatorwhose upward movement is controlled by the lowering of level of the pile. Such devices for instance are shown in my copending applications for patent, Serial No.

849,637, filed March 25, 1929,;and Serial No.

391,606, filed September 10, 1929. mechanisms of this character the-placing of" iVith additional paperon the elevator to replenish the pile requires that the operation of the press be temporarily halted, since the elevator table must first be lowered by hand before the additional paper can be placed thereon.-

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a pile supporting structure in which the vertically movable elevator is eliminated, and in which additional paper may be placed thereon at any time :without halting the operation of the press, while at" the same time the topmost sheet of the pile-- is automatically maintained at the properposition and level to be engaged by the individual sheet feeding means. Y 7

I therefore term this device a continuous paper feeder, since, as above stated, the paper may be supplied or fed thereto as needed-,-

while the operation of the press is continued. The time necessary to press a large number of sheets is therefore lessened considerably over what is needed with the press mecha v nisms, and no readjustment or moving of any part is necessary when placing an additional supply of paper on the device.

A further object of the invention is toproduce a simple and inexpensive deviceand yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the-purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means'of .gsuch structure and relative arrangement of partsas will fullyap'pear byaperusal of the i following specificationand claims. *3-

In the drawings similar characters ofrefe erence indicate corresponding partsiirthe. several views:. .g

Fig.- 1 is .a. sectional elevation of my imw proved paper supporting and "feed device detached from the press.

2 is gitudinal. section of the "same; I Y ,1 s

Fig. 3 is a fragmentarytop plan View. i Fig.j4 is'ai fragmentary longitudinal section, of. the deviceiat its'forwa-rd end show ing the sheet controlling feeler and parts controlled by the movement thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side' outline of .a' press showing thepaper; supporting device mounted thereon and connected. \vithx'the operating mechanismof the press- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross section-on the line 66 of Fig. 5.- 1

Referring now more particularly to'thecharacters of reference .onthe drawings, the numeral 1 denotes. the side-rails or .I main frame of the paper supporting device which is mounted in a fixed position betweenthe side frames 20f the press which is of that i type shown insaid above 'mentionedapplication forpatent, SerialNo. 391,606. I

Turnably. mounted between and supported by the rails towardtheir rear end is aplurality of separated rollers 3 "all disposed'in common horizontal alineinent with each other and with a tape roller 4L disposed ahead ofthe same. The'rollers 3 are preferably all nurled or otherwise roughenedon. their. surfaces throughout. Endless transversely spaced tapes 5 pass about the roller 41 and about a similar roller 6 disposed adjacent the forward end of the rails and supported thereby; a paper supporting plate 7 extending" between the tape I rollers just. under the upper run of the tapes.

The rollers 3 and 4 areall connected by a train of gears 8 soas to rotate in the samerough surfaced roller 9 is disposed 'just ahead of the roller 6 and is connected therei to by gearing 10 so that they both turn in the same direction. Ahoriz'ontaltransverse apron or flange 11 extends forwardly from the roller 9 tangent thereto,-a vertical stop plate 12 projecting above said apronat its forward end and extending the full distance between the side rails.

A pile of paper sheets 13 forming the stack to be printed is adapted to be placed on the device in forwardly combed relation, or so that the forward edges of the upper sheets extend ahead of the corresponding' edges of the under sheets. The stack is held in a predetermined position laterally on the I device by laterally adjustable guide plates 14. These plates depend from and are supported by a transverse rod 15 disposed above the plate 7 and mounted at its ends in brackets 16 upstanding from the side rails 1. Also supported by said rod is a longitudinally extending and adjustable rod 17 from the front end of which a link 18 flexibly depends. This link on its lower end carries a roller 19 engagingthe topmost sheet of paper near its rear end so as to-prevent'displacement of said sheet without preventing it from being drawn horizontally off the pile. Light fingers 20 project forwardly from the link and from the guide plates "14 and engage the topmost sheet near its forward edge. These fingers prevent excessive upward displacement of said edge by the air blown between the topmost sheets from the flutter pipe 21 positioned just ahead of the plate 12.- 7

The combing of the paper is initially done by hand and is carried-"out to such an ex tent that all the forward edges of theshee'ts lie in a substantially common horizontal plane or are alined with the plate 7, the roller 9 or the lip 11, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will therefore be seen that if the tapes and the various rollers are driven forwardly the entire pile will be moved forward until the forward edges of the topmost sheets engage the stop plate 12. It is then of course desired that the advancing of the paper shall be halted so as not to destroy the combed arrangement of the sheet relative to each other,

and such advancing is therefore actuated in side of the frame. This wheel is engaged by a pawl 26 mounted on anarm 27 which pro jects horizontally fromand is turnable axial y of thewheel and gear. The pawl and ratchet are arranged sothat depression of the outer end of the arm causes the ratchet wheel and gear to be rotated; the pinion23 and various rollers interconnected therewith being then turned so that their upper surfaces move forwardly, advancing the paper toward the forward end of the supporting stri'icture.

The mechanism which causes the arm to be thus depressed is, as will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 5, the same as shown for operating "the elevator in my'copending ap plication for patent, Serial No. 391,606, and is constructed as follows:

A link 28 depends from the outer end of the arm 27 and is connected at its lower end to the free end of a horizontal arm 29 pivoted at its opposite end on the adj acent frame 2. A. tension spring 30 between said frame and the arm 29 tends to raise the latter, its upward movement being limited by a stop 31 projecting from the frame. Projecting laterally from the arm 29 intermediate its ends is a lug 32, adapted to be engaged by a pin 33 projecting from one face of a disc 34: (see Fig. 6). A pinion 35 is fixed in connection withsaid disc and is engaged by a segmental gear 36. This 'gearis oscillated through an arc of certain length in timedrelation to the movement of the bed and cylinder of the press. p I

Depending from a pin 37 mounted in the frame '1 above the arn'r 29 is a rod 38 disposed in a vertical plane intermediate the ends of said arm and in a transverse plane just to one side of said arm. The lowe end of this rod is adapted to engage a shoulder 39 formed onand projecting from a block 40 secured to and projecting laterally from the arm 29. A weight 4 which is mounted in connection with the rod 38 tends to turn the same on the pin 37 and move its lowerend away from the shoulder, which then permits the spring 30 to act to 'raise the arm 29 and consequently the arm 27 The length of this rod 38 is such that when it'engages the shoulder 39 the arm 29 is depressed to such an GXtQDlLgtlllt the lug 32 is barelyen'ga'ged by the pin 33 at the end of the oscillation or stroke of the disc 34 in one direction. Sa1d d sc also controls themovement of the paper engaging suction nozzles N in the manner particularly shown and de scribed in said copending application, Serial No. 391,606, being connected-thereto so that said nozzles overhang the topmost sheet of paper at its forward end, just as the disc reaches the above named limit of movement.

This particular relationship of the parts however has no bearing on the press invention.

If the rod 38 is moved clear of the shoulder 39 the arm 29 is free to rise, and it will paper supporting rollers and tapes to be moved to advance the paper toward the front end of the structure. TlllS 1S accomplished horizontalrod 43 is freely slidable, said rod havinga stop S on the front side of the arm 42 to engage the same. This rod at its rear end is slidable in a support 44 depending from the front of the pile supporting structure and at itsforward end is flexibly connected to the lower end of an arm 45. This arm depends radially from a transverse shaft 46 journaled under the side rails 1 at their forward ends. A light weight 47'is applied to this shaft and tends to turn the arm Projecting upwardly fromand secured in connection with the shaft and extending in front of the plate 12 are transversely spaced fingers 48 having rearwardly bent offset lips 48a on their upper ends adapted to project through slots 49 cut in the plate 12 and apron 11. These lips form feelers for engagement with the topmost sheets of the paper on the pile.- The weight 47 therefore tends to move said lips rearwardly of the apron and to pull the rod 43 and the stop S forwardly and away from the arm 42. When the paper is fully advanced on the support however the topmost sheet or sheets engage and push the lips forwardly against the resistance of the weight 47 until said sheets are flush with the plate 12. In this position of the lips, the stop S abuts against the arm 42 and the control rod 38 connected therewith is maintained in a position to engage the shoulder 39. Therefore as long as any sheet of paper is engaged with the plate 12 (which is a position necessary to enable the nozzle N to properly engage and pin up said sheet), the rod 38 is prevented from disengagingthe shoulder 39, the arm 29 remains depressed so that it can not be acted on by the pin 33, and the paper advancing mechanism is prevented from functioning.

.As soon as the furthest advanced and top.-

most sheet of the combed pile is removed,

however. the feeler lips are free to and will move rearwardly of the plate 12, causing the stop S to be drawn away from the arm 42. This permit-s the'weight 41 to act to move the rod 38 clear of the shoulder 39, enabling the arm 29 to be raised and causing the same-to be positively depressed by the subsequent oscillation of the disc, as previously set forth. This causes the paper to be advanced and the feeler lips to be pushed forward, causing the stop S to push the arm 42 rearwardly and again placing the rod 38 in a position to engage the shoulder 9 and hold the arm 29 against further movement. This cycle of operations is repeated as the fully advanced sheets are successfully drawn 'oif'the pile by the feed nozzlesor other feeding means.

VVhen'it is desired to add an additional supply to the pile, the additional sheets are first combed out and are then" merely inserted under the back end of the pile already in place on the supporting structure. This operation obviously does not lnterfere with the operationof the press nor isit necessary device as substantially'fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in de-' tail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practicesuch deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the in- V vention, as defined by the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A continuous paper feeder for a printing press including supporting means for a stack of paper combed so that the upper sheets of the stack are advancedrelative to those below, said means including a movable member whose movement in one direction advances the stack as a unit, a depressible arm operatively connected to said member to move the same in a stack advancing means only when said arm is being depressed, means operated in conjunction with the operation of the press to intermittently depress the arm, means acting on the arm to move the same in the opposite direction, a rod pivoted at a fixed point and arranged at its free end to normally engage and hold the arm depressed, means tending to move the rod from such engagement, a nger pivoted in connection with the supof the topmost sheet of the stack, means tendingt-o move said finger toward the advancing sheet whereby said sheet in its advancement vances the stack as a unit, a depressible arm operatively connected to said-member to move the same in a stack advancing means only when said arm is being depressed, means operated in conjunction with the operation of the press to intermittently depress the arm, means acting on the arm to move the same in will engage and move the finger in the oppomounted in connection with said first named theopposite direction,; a pivoted rod positionedto normally engage and hold the arm 7 depressed, means tending to move the rod from such engagement, a finger pivoted in. connection with the supporting 'means and projecting above the level of the topmost sheet of the stack, anarm connected to and depending from thepivot or" the finger, a

horizontal rod connected to the lower end of the arm a stop on the rod, and a member rod to be engaged by the stop, the stop being positioned to engage said member and hold the first named rod in its arm engaging position when the finger is moved by the movement of the paper to a fully advanced position. a

In testimony whereof I afi ix my signature.

CHARLES L. LOW. 

